Thus far, the character of Holly Gibney has appeared in six different Stephen King books, with the seventh book, Never Flinch, on the way this year. Holly Gibney has become something of an anti-Randall Flagg, appearing across multiple series as a force for good. While Holly Gibney has been controversial among Stephen King readers, King himself clearly loves her and she’s become an integral character.
Interestingly, Holly is one of the only Stephen King characters to appear in multiple Stephen King screen adaptations, with Cynthia Erivo playing Holly in The Outsider miniseries and Justine Lupe in the Mr. Mercedes TV show. Clearly, she’s here to stay. For those curious about diving into her story, reading the books in chronological order is always the best way, but it’s also fun to look at her appearances so far and rank them.
Books In Which Holly Has Appeared | Release Date |
|---|---|
Mr. Mercedes | August 9, 2014 |
Finders Keepers | June 2, 2015 |
End of Watch | June 7, 2016 |
The Outsider | January 12, 2020 |
If It Bleeds | April 21, 2020 |
Holly | September 5, 2023 |
Never Flinch | May 27, 2025 |
6
Finders Keepers
2015
The second book in the Bill Hodges trilogy, Finders Keepers, is the book that establishes Holly as an integral, recurring character in Stephen King’s world. It’s not in last place due to any particularly glaring weaknesses or because of poor storytelling, but simply because, while it does many things well, the other books on this list do them better. That includes Holly Gibney and her character development and role in the story.
While Finders Keepers does many things well, the other books on this list do them better.
Holly no doubt gets more development and more backstory as she and Bill Hodges grow closer, and it’s great to see her character start to grow. That said, because it’s the middle book in the trilogy, Finders Keepers benefits neither from being a brand-new introduction nor the culmination of a full growth arc. As such, while a fun read, in terms of Holly, it’s not the strongest entry.
5
The Outsider
2018
The Outsider is by no means a bad book, but in terms of Stephen King novels, it’s not the strongest, with the supernatural twist of the shapeshifter/El Cuco being behind the murders coming a little out of left field. However, it’s the first book outside the Bill Hodges trilogy in which Holly appears and the first to establish the Holly Gibney books as Stephen King’s second-biggest universe after The Dark Tower.
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Considering Holly’s social awkwardness and fear of the outside world, it’s really fascinating to see her interact with a whole new group of people, this time without Bill Hodges to rely on. Her story in the standalone novel is one of the proverbial fledgling flying the nest, so to speak. The Outsider illustrates just how much Holly has grown and provides the perfect segue into her own stories. Still, due to the uneven story, it gets second-to-last place on the list.
4
If It Bleeds
2020
Novella If It Bleeds, the featured story in the 2020 collection of the same name, is the first Stephen King story to feature Holly as the protagonist. The story is a fun one, as it shows Holly stepping into the role of leader rather than follower for the first time. It’s up to her to direct her allies as they pursue the monstrous antagonist, and Holly stepping outside her comfort zone is a new and interesting scenario for the character and reader alike.
Holly stepping outside her comfort zone is a new and interesting scenario for the character and reader alike.
Still, Holly doesn’t get nearly as much development in If It Bleeds due to it being novella length instead of a full novel. Likewise, the supernatural antagonist is a little too similar to the shapeshifter of The Outsider, making it feel at times like a path that Holly has trodden before.
3
End of Watch
2016
End of Watch, the final installment of the Bill Hodges trilogy, was a great ending to the series. While some of King’s Constant Readers have been less in love with his crime thriller novels, there’s no doubt it’s a satisfying conclusion to a solid trilogy. It’s especially fun to see where all the characters land after three books, none more than Holly.
End of Watch is surprisingly heartfelt, allowing the surrogate father-daughter bond that grew between Bill Hodges and Holly across three books, to become the emotional core of the story.
In End of Watch, Holly is far more of a co-protagonist than playing a support role, and because of it, more time is rightfully spent on her character development and backstory. End of Watch is surprisingly heartfelt, allowing the surrogate father-daughter bond that grew between Bill Hodges and Holly across three books, to become the emotional core of the story. In it, Holly finally goes from a slightly annoying and naive girl to a unique and fully-formed character. It’s not at the top of the list, but it comes in a solid third on the list thanks to this.
2
Mr. Mercedes
2014
Though Mr. Mercedes isn’t the best book on this list, it’s one of the best featuring Holly Gibney, primarily because it was her very first appearance in Stephen King’s universe. From the jump, Holly was unlike any other character that Stephen King had created. King has sometimes struggled to write three-dimensional female characters, especially in his early books, with them getting smaller arcs or serving as support for the male protagonist.
However, while Holly starts out as awkward, socially anxious, obsessive-compulsive, and near-agoraphobic in Mr. Mercedes, there are glimpses of the character she could be and would become in later installments. It’s a satisfying introduction that starts King’s and readers’ fascination with Holly Gibney.
1
Holly
2023
The best book to feature Holly Gibney is also the most recent, 2023’s Holly. It’s not entirely surprising, as, while it’s not the first of King’s works in which Holly takes the lead instead of merely providing support, as the first full-length novel, it’s substantially more fleshed-out.
Beyond the satisfaction of seeing how far Holly has come in the present, the novel also provides a much deeper glimpse into her backstory.
Holly has grown a lot through multiple novels, and Holly is the culmination of that growth, allowing the newly-fledged private detective to truly thrive and come into her own. Beyond the satisfaction of seeing how far Holly has come in the present, the novel also provides a much deeper glimpse into her backstory, making it the most well-rounded Stephen King book in which Holly Gibney has appeared so far.
Stephen King
Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for The Dark Tower series, The Stand, IT, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, the Bill Hodges trilogy, and more.
- Birthdate
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September 21, 1947
- Birthplace
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Portland, Maine, USA
- Professions
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Author
, Screenwriter
, Producer
, Director
, Actor